Smolder (Firefighters of Montana Book 1) Read Online Free

Kingston had out-maneuvered the other firefighters at the drill; the guy clearly possessed the stamina and intelligence to be a first rate smokejumper/hotshot. In the seven days since Sam had taken over the station, he’d watched the other employees take their cues from the steely man. It was obvious to him that the rest of the crew had assumed either Kingston or Tyler Dodson might be their new captain rather than an outsider like Sam.
    Kingston had been Russ Edwards’ best friend—he even lived in Edwards’ old house and brought the former captain’s dog, Muttley, to the station every day. But Sam sensed that behind the intensity, Kingston wasn’t exactly settled in his own skin. According to the file on the incident that left Edwards dead, Kingston was the first to arrive on the scene, finding his friend unconscious, dangling from his chute. Edwards never awoke before succumbing to internal injuries. It was a scenario Sam could relate to, having lived it more than once during his tours of duty in the army. But he, like Kingston, knew the risks involved with the job. Losing a friend, while not easy, was chief among those risks.
    The chilly welcome Sam had received when he took over as captain hadn’t warmed one bit. Sam knew having Kingston’s support would go a long way to winning over the rest of the crew. He didn’t give a rat’s ass whether anyone in the station actually liked him, but he needed their respect to ensure things ran efficiently—and safely—this fire season. That was job one. Sam hadn’t botched a mission yet—his marriage, well, that was another story.
    “I’m almost finished going over the applications for rookie candidates and the returning part-time jumpers,” Sam said. “We’re going to have to cast the net a little wider to make sure that, for boot camp, we have at least a dozen applicants who have significant emergency medical training. Right now, only thirty percent of our personnel are EMT qualified. That’s not enough to make sure each jump crew will have personnel with advanced medical training. I want to double that number.”
    Kingston’s body went very still as even his breathing seemed to halt for a long moment. Sam had been right to guess the guy was carrying around a load of unnecessary guilt over his friend’s death. But until they were actually facing down a fire, he had no way of knowing whether or not Kingston had lost his edge. His gut was telling him the guy was one of the strongest leaders in the station. Sam was counting on the fact Kingston still had the mettle to do the job. The broadening of specialized EMT experience to each team was Sam’s way of allowing every crew member to face the fire season after their captain’s death with a little less guilt—particularly the man sitting beside him.
    “We’ll add a more comprehensive first-aid training unit that’s beyond what the forest service requires to the boot camp. But it will be mandatory for every member of the crew, regardless of their experience,” Sam continued. “I’ve arranged for a combat medic I know to come and give the course early next month.”
    With a whoosh of a breath, Kingston gave him a slow, deliberate nod.
    “Dodson is helping me understand the nuances of coordinating among the local, regional, and national agencies. I’m also going to need some help assessing the skill-set of the returning seasonal crew. Is that something you feel comfortable doing?” Sam asked. “Next to Dodson, you have the most seniority and are familiar with the part-time personnel.”
    Kingston turned and eyed him shrewdly. If he suspected Sam’s motive, he kept it to himself. “So no one’s guaranteed a job? A lot of people in this area are counting on that income for the summer.”
    “Everyone’s got a job.” Kingston nodded as Sam continued. “But there’s a lot more to an individual than what is on their application, and I don’t have the luxury of getting up to speed on everyone before the